Well known to the world as Gloucester’s major maritime and sailing event, the 29th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival is organized by the Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee and Maritime Gloucester.

Taking place in the harbor and nearby waters of America’s oldest seaport, the Gloucester Schooner Festival honors the major role the fishing schooner has played in the heritage of Gloucester and the eastern seaboard. Old and new, large and small– a variety of schooners will visit Gloucester Harbor and delight all comers.

Gloucester’s beautiful harbor, acclaimed by explorer Champlain as “Le Beauport”, is the backdrop for a unique mix of the old and new, as modern day trawlers share their home port with traditional vessels from the age of sail.

A highlight of the Gloucester Schooner Festival is the Parade of Sail on Sunday morning, as the participating schooners make their way through the harbor and out past the breakwater, to the Mayor’s Race starting area off Eastern Point.

Friday, August 30, 2013

All Day
Arrival of Participating Vessels.

5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Welcoming Reception for invited guests.

6:00 pm
Bluenose Gala Evening (ticketed event) Join us for another wonderful evening on the docks, and on the pier, for our annual fund raising gala. $150/person includes music, cocktails and food. Contact Maritime Gloucester for reservations and information.

10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Maritime Gloucester Heritage Day
Maritime Gloucester, located at 23 Harbor Loop in downtown Gloucester, will host its annual Heritage Day celebration from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Center’s exhibits and aquarium will be open free of charge throughout the day. Free to all.

12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
U.S. Coast Guard Station Open House
Stop by the Station on Harbor Loop to learn all about the Coast Guard and its important role in Gloucester.

4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
1st Annual Public Lobster Bake
Enjoy freshly steamed lobster, corn on the cob, and a Virgilio’s roll– all for $12 per person. Relax with your dinner on the slopes of the Fitz Henry Lane lawn while listening to Old Cold Tater & Friends. Also available for sale: hot dogs, hamburgers, veggies burgers, cold sodas & spring water, beer & wine. Tickets available in advance from Maritime Gloucester or at the event.

8:30 am
Skippers Meeting
This meeting is required for all Schooners sailing in the Mayor’s Race. Meet at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop.

10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Parade of Sail as Schooners proceed from Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point.

11:00 am to 1:30 pm
Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light, from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Avenue) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of CATACharge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority.

12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
U.S. Coast Guard Station Open House
Stop by the Station on Harbor Loop to learn all about the Coast Guard and its important role in Gloucester.

1:00 pmRace Info
Start of Mayor’s Race for the Esperanto Cup, Ned Cameron Trophy and Betty Ramsey Trophy off Eastern Point. Click here for information on reserving your space on one of the schooners during the Mayor’s Race.